


The one that filled more gaps

by Cherrypie62666



Series: Day by Day series [12]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Depression, M/M, One Shot, Post-The Blood of Olympus, Pre-The Trials of Apollo, So much angst, solangelo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 11:01:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8841967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cherrypie62666/pseuds/Cherrypie62666
Summary: Between chapters seven and eight of the original fic.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Can be read stand alone, but how much fun is that?

Day Eleven:

After the events of the previous day, he wasn’t surprised when Nico wasn’t around for breakfast. The boy had wandered off the night before, holing up in his cabin, choosing to eat his meals alone. Will had wanted to go check on him, but he thought he might need some space, and instead conceded to attempt the following afternoon. When he knocked on the cabin door and received no response, he reluctantly wandered toward the infirmary, hoping to catch the boy later.

  
All day long his insides hurt, like someone sandpapered down all the rough edges, leaving them porous and weak. Each long minute seemed to tick by at an excruciating pace, the hollowness he felt in the other’s absence starting to weigh him down. He asked anyone that might be privy to the other’s whereabouts if they knew where he’d gone off to, but no one had seen him since the night before, so their guess was as good as his. He even wondered if Nico was avoiding him, refusing to answer the door, but when he snuck inside and found the place deserted, a whole new wave of terror washed over him.

 

  
The later it got, the worse he felt. By mid afternoon he was such a wreck that his sister Kayla had to relieve him of his duties after he dropped yet another cup of nectar, the thing shattering into a wet mess on the floor. He stared at the broken pieces littering the ground and understood their plight, for he too felt much the same right then.

  
He kept finding himself outside of the Hades cabin, rapping lightly on the door, hoping for a response. He’d bite his lip and stand there stupidly, but no one ever answered. It made him want to scream, staring at that mahogany wood, like it might have answers he’d never know. Had the boy left this way? Would he be back? Or did he leave from inside, shadow traveling away, possibly to his death? He had to resist the urge to vomit over the last thought, and slunk away.

  
By evening he snapped, all the worry and anxiety and fear giving way to sudden, molten hot anger. It churned inside of him, ripping him apart, eager for release. Marching across the camp, he found his target sitting on the amphitheater steps, blissfully unaware of the storm that was headed his way.

  
“Grace, you insufferable… idiot!” He spat the final word like it was an arrow, resisting a smile at the satisfaction he felt when it hit its mark, causing the other to wince. Jason blinked at him in confusion, mouth slack, words dead in his throat.

  
“Wh-what?” Will was so angry he was glowing, skin on fire like a miniature sun. Jason had to squint to look at him properly.

  
“What did you do this time? What did you say?”

  
“I… don’t know what you mean-“

  
“Nico!” He howled, drawing stares from the nearby campers. When they caught a glance of Will glowing with rage, they scampered off, leaving Jason to his doom. “He’s missing and I know it’s your fault! What the fuck did you say to him, Grace?” He never swore, not if he could help it. He was just so mad, so desperate to destroy something, that the words came spilling out. Jason winced again and looked away.

  
“It actually wasn’t that bad. He just doesn’t know you feel the same way so-“

  
“And you think interference is helping? What if he doesn’t come back, Jason? What good does it do if you scare him off like that?” His voice cracked and he bit his lip to stop it from trembling. Jason’s eyes softened and he reached out hesitantly before Will smacked him away.

  
“He’ll come back, I know he will. He just needs a little time…”

  
“He had better,” Will hissed, feeling the last bits of anger burning away. He needed to get out of there fast. “Or mark my words, you’ll speak in rhyming couplets for the rest of your life.” Somehow, that threat really seemed to worry the other boy, but Will was suddenly too tired to care. He returned to his cabin and fell into his bed, completely spent.

 

  
The following day at breakfast, when Nico finally emerged, he had to resist the urge to tackle him. It didn’t take long to notice the sorrowful expression the boy wore, so he held back, not wanting to overwhelm him again. He watched him from his table, eyes never leaving the other, hating the distance. When Nico’s dark gaze finally drifted toward him, he tried to offer a reassuring smile, but the other quickly looked away, and his smile faltered.

  
He didn’t see much of him for the rest of the day, so by dinner time, his nerves were shot. He wanted to be there for the boy, without coming on too strong or pushing him away. By the time he got up the courage to approach Nico, he had already started his walk back to the Hades cabin. He followed him back and grew hopeful when the other halted, only to be thrown back into despair at the look of utter torment etched into his face. Will wanted nothing more than to rush to him, wrap his arms protectively around him, and absorb his pain. Instead he stopped short, offering a silent kind of reassurance.

  
“Hey.”  
“Hey.”  
“You disappeared yesterday. No one knew where you were…”  
“I went for a walk. It took a while. But I came back.”  
“Do you… want to talk about it?’  
“There’s nothing to talk about. I just want to be left alone, that’s all.”  
“Okay, Nico… see you around then.”

 

He felt like his heart was breaking, but he turned around, leaving the boy staring after him. He climbed into his bed and didn't come out for the rest of the night.

**Author's Note:**

> I started out alright, and then I just had to end it because I was becoming depressed. Sheesh.


End file.
